Before he even set foot on a film set, Dwayne Johnson was creating great characters in the wrestling ring, perhaps none better than the eyebrow-raising, People’s Elbowing “The Rock.” He was so naturally likable that the cocky villain quickly turned into a beloved antihero. Everybody smelled what The Rock was cooking.
Johnson carried that never-ending charisma to the big screen and it’s in full gear in his new Central Intelligence (in theaters Friday). Amid an anti-bullying message and “Be the hero of your own story” theme, the buff actor plays a former chubby kid turned rogue CIA agent who disrupts the life of a former classmate (Kevin Hart) on the eve of their 20-year high school reunion.
How does he rate in the definitive ranking of best and worst Johnson movie roles? Let’s break it down. (No uncredited cameos, straight-to-video releases or animated parts are counted. But we still love you, Planet 51.)
21. Sarge (Doom, 2005)
An action-packed video-game adaptation may have seemed like a good idea at the time. We’re giving The Rock a mulligan for this one.
20. Derek Thompson (Tooth Fairy, 2010)
Goonish hockey enforcer doesn’t believe in the tooth fairy, gets wings as his punishment and receives a stern talking-to from Julie Andrews.
19. Hank (Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, 2012)
The mission: To break some codes and save an old man on a wondrous island. What actually ensues along the way: battles with killer eels, campfire songs and Johnson bouncing berries off his flexing pectorals.
18. Mathayus (The Scorpion King, 2002)
After the brief intro in The Mummy 2, Johnson rocks his first starring role as an Egyptian ruler rising to power. Not the epitome of acting at that point, but he jumps through fire and flings a sword like nobody’s business.
17. Chris Vaughn (Walking Tall, 2004)
No frills and all butt-kicking await when a special forces soldier returns to clean up his small town with some no-nonsense justice. His weapon of choice: a mighty piece of lumber.
16. Jack Bruno (Race to Witch Mountain, 2009)
The ex-con cabbie’s next fare is one for the ages when he helps two alien teenagers with superpowers get to their spaceship and avoid a secret government crew.
15. Sean Porter (Gridiron Gang, 2006)
Johnson takes the field as the guru of a football squad comprised of juvenile delinquents in need of a second chance. When his troubled yet talented athletes don’t make the most of it, Coach puts on the pads himself to lay the smack down, in a teaching way.
14. Hercules (Hercules, 2014)
He picks up a horse with a dude on it and throws them. A horse. With a dude on it. Enough said.
13. Christopher Danson (The Other Guys, 2010)
Along with Samuel L. Jackson, he’s one of the NYPD’s finest and cockiest — though they get, well, an early retirement.
12. Driver (Faster, 2010)
Cops and crooks both have a mission to take down this one-man army bent on taking down everyone involved with his brother’s murder. Like the Terminator but with a really cool Chevelle.
11. Ray Gaines (San Andreas, 2015)
It’s the The Rock vs. a rocking earthquake when the Big One hits California and his helicopter rescue pilot braves certain doom (plus a ton of falling buildings) to save his daughter and estranged wife.
10. John Matthews (Snitch, 2013)
They say snitches get stitches, but it's the devoted dad who doles out the hurting to a bunch of bad guys in an effort to get his kid out of trouble with the government and a Mexican drug cartel.
9. Beck (The Rundown, 2003)
Johnson’s bounty hunter walks into a nightclub and past Arnold Schwarzenegger, who passes the action-movie baton of sorts with two words: “Have fun.” BALLER.
8. Agent 23 (Get Smart, 2008)
The top secret agent of CONTROL is a role model for clumsy wannabe Steve Carell, though by the end, Agent 23 is the one throwing an explosive situation into total KAOS.
7. Boxer Santaros (Southland Tales, 2006)
Richard Kelly’s oddball pre-apocalyptic sci-fi satire/fantasy put Johnson in the interesting role of an amnesiac action-movie star with a powerful congressman father-in-law.
6. Elliot Wilhelm (Be Cool, 2005)
Johnson showed his stuff opposite a bunch of A-listers (John Travolta, Uma Thurman, Harvey Keitel) as the Get Short sequel’s gay Samoan bodyguard and aspiring actor who gets a kick out of singing country music and checking himself out in tight blue pants.
5. Paul Doyle (Pain & Gain, 2013)
Every major character is bonkers and/or on drugs, and kudos to Johnson for his wacked-out criminal Christian cokehead.
4. Joe Kingman (The Game Plan, 2007)
The highlight of Johnson’s family-friendly period, when he played a pro quarterback with a heart of gold and a surprise daughter. No deflation shenanigans here.
3. Bob Stone (Central Intelligence, 2016)
He has great one-liners and can take out guys four at a time. But arguably the best thing about him is, for most of the movie, you don’t know if he’s really a nice guy obsessed with guns, cinnamon pancakes, unicorns and saving the world or if there are other shenanigans afoot.
2. Roadblock (G.I. Joe: Retaliation, 2013)
Makes sense: An action figure playing an action figure. Johnson put the 1980s toy/comics/cartoons franchise on his large shoulders playing the machine-gunning Cobra hater.
1. Luke Hobbs (Fast & Furious series, 2011-present)
The only person who probably looks more like an actual superhero than Vin Diesel, Johnson brought new life to the franchise beginning in Fast Five with his heavily armed federal agent. Daddy’s gotta go to work, indeed.
